NEW YORK CITY — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani on Thursday as her top choice for New York City mayor, a widely expected backing coming the morning after the first New York City mayoral debate.
State “Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,” Ocasio-Cortez said in the endorsement. “In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.”
The endorsement had been highly anticipated, as Mamdani closes the gap with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the weeks before the June 24 Democratic primary.
Mamdani was laser focused Wednesday night on Cuomo, who came prepared with his own responses.
“This is actually the perfect time to have received her endorsement, because we have just enough time to make this case to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani is attempting to coalesce the anti-Cuomo support among progressives, which are unlikely to rank Cuomo in their top five.
In their first televised debate, the candidates piled-on the frontrunner-former governor Andrew Cuomo-as the panelists demanded answers about allegations of sexual harassment that drove him from office.
And the state’s accounting of COVID nursing home deaths.
Cuomo insisted he was best able to stand up to President Trump.
“I am the last person on this stage that Mr. Trump wants to see as mayor,” Cuomo said.
Mamdani hit back by saying, “I am Donald Trump’s worst nightmare, as a progressive, Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in.”
Cuomo said he had no regrets about his years as governor, and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams was gobsmacked.
“No regrets when it comes to slow walking PPE and vaccinations-in the season of COVID-to black brown communities. Really? No regrets,” Adrienne Adams said.
Former mayor Bill de Blasio said Cuomo deserves credit.
“I think his answers about Trump were very strong. I think he acquitted himself well on many levels. But what was most striking to me was his main opponent, Zohran Mamdani, seemed energetic. Cuomo at times seemed a little lower energy, a little drifty. And that’s going to be an interesting dynamic,” Bill de Blasio said.
AOC will rank New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams second; New York City Comptroller Brad Lander third; former New York Comptroller Scott Stringer fourth; and New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie fifth.
The candidates that Ocasio-Cortez ranked released statements saying:
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a once-in-a-generation leader who has led the fight for working people in Congress. In 2018, she shocked the world and transformed our politics. On June 24, with @AOC’s support and this movement behind us, we will do the same,” Mamdani said.
“I am so proud to have AOC’s support in this race. She knows what it takes to stand up to Trump and stop Cuomo-and she sees that we’re building the broad, working-class coalition that it takes to win. Let’s do this, together,” Adams said.
“Proud to have AOC’s support in our fight for a safer, more affordable, and better-run city for all New Yorkers,” Lander said.
Ocasio-Cortez had endorsed Maya Wiley, another progressive, in the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary.
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